Lewis Hamilton gained six places with a perfectly-timed pit stop in the rain at Spa. But he initially resisted his team’s call to pit.

“No way,” replied Hamilton when his race engineer Ricardo Adami asked him whether he thought the track was ready for slicks early on lap 11.

But as Hamilton continued around the rapidly-drying seven-kilometre Spa-Francorchamps, he began to think the track might be ready after all.

“I’m down to try if you want,” he eventually told Adami, before heading in.

The decision proved to be a masterstroke. Hamilton was the first driver to switch to slicks and on his out-lap he immediately went almost four seconds faster through the middle sector.

Almost every other driver headed for the pits on the next lap. Hamilton jumped ahead of five drivers he had been chasing, then passed Liam Lawson who emerged from the pits ahead of him.

That put Hamilton into seventh place. With few further passes possible over the remainder of the race, the tactical move he initially resisted had paid off massively. Here’s how he and Adami made the call.

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Hamilton’s radio messages from around his pit stop

Hamilton managed to pass several drivers during the opening laps when the track was at its wettest.

Lap: 8/44 HAM: 2’01.599

Adami
Hamilton passes Colapinto
Well done Lewis. Hulkenberg next car ahead, one second.

Lap: 9/44 HAM: 2’04.389

Adami
Hamilton passes Hulkenberg
That’s P14, good job. Gasly next.

Adami
Hamilton passes Gasly at Stavelot
That’s awesome, Lewis. Bearman ahead, three seconds, about track conditions when you can.

Hamilton
Tyre’s good.

Adami
Cool.

Lap: 10/44 HAM: 2’03.457

Adami
Wettest part of the track is turn five, you can manage in 10 and 15 for tyres.

Adami
Switch red, switch red. And pull back the entry of five, five metres. We are in the rear overheating phase.

After initially rejecting Adami’s suggestion he switch to slicks, Hamilton reconsidered as he passed through the middle part of the lap:

Lap: 11/44 HAM: 2’10.597

Adami
Kemmel straight
You think to stop for slicks now, new medium?

Hamilton
No way.

Adami
Copy.

Hamilton
Exit of Les Combes
It’s not far, some places, but it’ll be very [unclear] slick.

Adami
Understood. Let’s [unclear] those cars ahead.

Hamilton
Approaching Pouhon
Very close, for sure.

Hamilton
Approaching Fagnes
I’m down to try if you want.

Adami
Copy.

Hamilton
These tyres are dropping off.

Adami
Box, Lewis, box.

Hamilton
Yeah, probably go to medium though.

Adami
Yeah, medium.

Hamilton
I’ve got a little too much front wing.

Adami
Hamilton pits
Tyre back at position three. Drop shallow.

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Once he rejoined the track, Hamilton asked for an update on his position, and discovered how well the gamble had paid off:

Lap: 12/44 HAM: 2’12.214

Adami
Caution pit exit is wet. Also five, six. Tyre position three, all clear ahead and behind. Hulkenberg three seconds behind, also on medium.

Adami
Everybody is boxing ahead.

Lap: 13/44 HAM: 1’51.050

Adami
Racing cars ahead. Lawson ahead, two seconds.
Hamilton passes Lawson on the Kemmel straight

Hamilton
Gap ahead?

Adami
Six seconds.

Hamilton
Position?

Adami
We are on P7 on the road. You are the fastest man on track. Group of cars ahead, three and a half, racing for position.

After the race Hamilton told his team: “Great job with the strategy and pit stop.” Adami replied: “Hey, you made it work.”

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